
The protests that swept Albania during 2026 and lasted for 59 days were included in a report by OSAC (Overseas Security Advisory Council), a structure affiliated with the US Department of State.
According to the report, the rallies began as environmental protests against a project to build a luxury resort on the island of Sazan, but then took on a broader political and social dimension.
"The protests began as local environmental demonstrations, but when the police dispersed them, thousands of Albanians took to the streets of major cities," the report says.
The document assesses that the civic movement then transformed into a broader reaction against the government, where protesters raised concerns about institutional corruption and the functioning of public institutions.
“In 2026, large protests targeted a luxury resort project on the island of Sazan. The rallies began as local environmental demonstrations, but when police dispersed them, thousands of Albanians took to the streets of major cities. The protests expanded to include calls against government corruption, while some of them degenerated into violence,” the OSAC report further states.